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Deputy Chief Constable Jon Stratford said: "Variation amongst forces regarding the numbers of allegations recorded within one complaint can make like for like comparisons misleading.

"We do recognise the need to maintain public confidence in the way we manage complaints to sustain the public's willingness to report matters which concern them.

"Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary stated last year that Gloucestershire Constabulary has taken positive steps to improve accuracy in recording the number of complaints it receives and has arranged awareness training for supervisors.

"So now more cases are referred appropriately to the PSD that may not have been referred previously."

The most common types of allegations were other neglect or failure in duty at 37 per cent, incivility, impoliteness and intolerance (12 per cent), other assault (eight percent).

Oppressive conduct or harassment made up six per cent while lack of fairness and impartiality was at five percent and unlawful or unnecessary arrest or detention was four per cent of complaints.

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Some 60 per cent of people filing complaints were men, 38 per cent were women while the gender of the remaining two per cent was unknown.

Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl said: “Figures go up and down, that is the nature of statistics, but I agree the complaints procedure can be inconsistent and is too complicated.

“I would like to see a more transparent system which distinguishes between the most serious complaints where corruption or incivility towards the public is concerned; and where vexatious or less serious customer service type grievances can be dealt with more quickly.

“The Government has indicated it wants police and crime commissioners to have a greater input, and I welcome that. But it will have to go through a legislative process first and I have been told it could be next summer before any changes come into effect."

The results come after the Gloucestershire Police Federation, which represents staff and officers in the force, was calling for body cameras to be a mandatory tool for all officers in a bid to reduce spurious complaints against them.

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The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which ran the report, said police forces were inconsistent in how they handled public complaints.

IPCC chairman Dame Anne Owers said: “The public need to have a high level of confidence in the police complaints system. If they complain about their local police force they should be assured that it will be dealt with robustly and fairly.

“The current system is extremely complex and bureaucratic and this has led to some of the inconsistencies we have recorded year on year.

“It is also not sufficiently independent, since some dissatisfied complainants can only appeal to the force that rejected their complaint in the first place.

“While some local variation is unavoidable, it is clear some forces need to look closely at their own performance and approach, where it is clearly at odds with the norm.”